Bloom

An Award-Winning Series on Ecological Design

Narrated by Academy award winner Chris Cooper, the “Bloom” Film Series is a long overdue, honest assessment of the root causes of eutrophication, nutrient runoff throughout our landscapes, and our societal need to reassess the value of our ecosystem services. This four part series offers ecological design solutions as a response to degraded landscapes, polluted waterways and increasingly volatile weather caused by a changing climate. Both “Bloom: The Plight of Lake Champlain” and “Bloom: The Agricultural Renaissance” were recipients of the New England Emmy Award for Best Environmental Program.

"Bloom: The Plight of Lake Champlain"

This first film in the four-part series is an Emmy award winning documentary exposing the declining health of the 6th largest lake in the United States, and the future of watershed communities of Vermont, New York, and Quebec. The worsening blue-green algae blooms of Lake Champlain are the most visible symptom of a lake in decline, and the end point of a failing dairy industry, ill-planned development, and aging wastewater treatment systems. Created by Emmy award winning producer Victor Guadagno and narrated by Academy Award winning actor Chris Cooper, Bloom first premiered on Mountain Lake PBS in December 2010, with follow-up episodes premiering in February 2012. It tells the story from the front lines of lake management, policy, and environmental advocacy -- fighting the status quo, awaking an apathetic public, and envisioning a new future for the ecological treasure and economic engine of the historic Champlain Valley.

"Bloom: The Emergence of Ecological Design"

Our wastewater infrastructure is aging and often inadequate for new population pressures. This combined with continued pressure to weaken clean water laws in the guise of economic progress is resulting in degraded water systems. This second episode in the Bloom series explores the history of wastewater treatment and introduces natural design strategies to help clean our water, reduce our reliance on energy intensive end-of-pipe solutions, and build resilient economies.

"Bloom: The Agricultural Renaissance"

Industrializing our food systems is hitting environmental, social, and economic limits. A system built on cheap fossil fuels and commodity subsidies has made food inexpensive in the United States, but has also degraded our environment, tainted our food supply, and compromised our food sovereignty. Vermont is forging a new path that is strengthening local economics, building a healthy food supply, and restoring our ecosystems. This third episode in the Bloom series introduces the farming and food renaissance that is reshaping the Green Mountain State, and may just renew our waters in the process.

"Bloom: "A New Reverence For Water"

The development of our cities, towns, and roads in between has gradually led to more impervious surfaces and less natural capacity to absorb and clean water. With storm events expected to be more frequent and intense in the coming decades, the design of our landscapes has taken on a new urgency to prevent flood damage and pollution run-off to our water bodies. This fourth and final episode in the Bloom series describes how we can design our houses, neighborhoods, businesses, and cities in ways that restore nature's capacity to regulate and clean stormwater.

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